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Today it means

antenna

an insect's feeler; an aerial

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Where does the word "antenna" come from? It comes from Latin antenna, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "antenna" come from? It comes from Latin antenna, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).

Antenna’s story begins in Latin: antenna meant “sail yard.” The yard of a ship's sail. It reached English by 1640s as antenna. Radio antennas date from the 1900s. Today, antenna means an insect's feeler; an aerial.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient antenna "sail yard", the yard of a ship's sail.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1640s antenna "insect feeler", radio antennas date from the 1900s.

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